RALEIGH - State Auditor Les Merritt backed away Tuesday from the early findings of a review of North Carolina's voter rolls, telling lawmakers his office might find no irregularities at all.

"We'll eventually get to a correct, final report," Merritt said, "and that final report, it could very well say there isn't anything here, that everything's fine, we're doing a super job.

"I think we are really doing a diligent job," he added, "but we've still got some questions."

Merritt, whose office is responsible for auditing state agencies, spoke to an overflowing Senate elections committee. Early findings of his office's review cited 24,821 invalid driver's license numbers in a voting database and 380 people who appeared to have voted after they died, among other possible problems.

N.C. elections officials dispute those findings, saying that they clean up voter rolls continuously.

During an hour-long hearing, one leading senator rebuked Merritt for using those findings to delay legislation that would make voter registration easier. Some Democrats suggested Merritt, a Republican, is using his office for partisan politics.

"Either Les Merritt is incompetent, lacking even a basic understanding of election law, or he's using his position as State Auditor to pursue the partisan agenda of the national Republican Party," said Jerry Meek, chair of the N.C. Democratic Party, in a news release. "Either way, voters should be worried."

Merritt, who is up for re-election next year, repeatedly said politics has not affected the review. He also said the review is not connected to a similar one by the Republican-led U.S. Department of Justice.

"I don't consider this a partisan issue, and I certainly don't want it to be, in fact, really perceived that way," Merritt said.

The review involves one of the most charged issues lawmakers deal with. Democrats generally favor an easier process for voter registration, which can boost turnout among Democratic-leaning minorities and poor voters, while Republicans tend to oppose that idea, hoping to benefit from lower turnout.

Sen. Doug Berger, a Franklin County Democrat, questioned the involvement of Merritt spokesman Chris Mears. A former political director for the N.C. Republican Party who worked on voter-registration issues there, Mears tracked the voting-related bill for Merritt.

"There's certainly growing concern that someone with Mr. Mears' background would be involved in this process," Berger said.

Mears told the Observer later Tuesday, "I work for the state and the taxpayers of North Carolina, and that's where my allegiance lies, period."

Merritt said the review of the state's voter rolls is continuing and that he does not know when it will be complete. The State Board of Elections has accused Merritt's office of being uncooperative and even misleading, but the two agencies now pledge to work together.

Sen. Dan Clodfelter, a Charlotte Democrat, suggested the auditor's office acted too soon two weeks ago when Merritt -- citing unspecified "sensitive information" -- urged the delay of a bill that would let voters register up to three days before Election Day, down from 25 days now.

"When you blow the whistle while the process is still incomplete, and then aren't able to say to us whether there is a problem or is not a problem," Clodfelter said.

The elections committee voted for the bill Tuesday, sending it to the full Senate. A vote is scheduled for today.